Recipe Check/questions Salt Bar

[Catscankim]

Back when I first started soaping (I know, it was soooo long ago LOL), I was more experimental with my recipes then, as opposed to being more experimental with my designs now because I have settled on a few base recipes (3)

I made two salt bars with two different recipes. The first one I found on the web which included coconut oil, olive oil, castor oil, and mango butter, in descending order by weight. The FO accelerated really bad and I did a plop in the cavity mold technique. The second one, which was literally the next day, I did 80/20 coconut oil/olive oil, with no FO, and it behaved nicely for me. These were made in the beginning of July. I know they aren't fully ready for a year, but I started testing out the first bar (with the mango) because I had some slivers of soap to try. It doesn't really get much bubbles at all, more like a creamy lather that dissolves into nothing when I rub my hands together. My hands do feel nice afterwards though. I haven't tried the second bar yet. Both are 50% salt ppo

I thought I took really good notes, but now that I want to go back to make a new batch....I realized my notes sucked (they are much better now LOL....I have recipe cards with pre-printed areas so I don't forget any pertinent information.

I didn't use soap calc then, but I do now, and when I plug those numbers that I used, it doesn't make sense to me. But also mind you, I am a newbie, so I am still trying to make sense out of a lot of things.

The recipe:
312g Coconut Oil
85g Olive Oil
28g Castor Oil
28g Mango Butter

Lye 72g
Water 172g

This recipe didn't come from anybody here. It was a random recipe that I found on the web looking for Salt Bars. And I happen to have Mango Butter, so I ran with it. I think I remember changing it up to the second attempt because I ran out of castor oil, so I looked for a different recipe. I was trying to redo so that I didn't have the plop and cry technique.

 

[AliOop]

I think you are asking for opinions on the recipes. Hope so, bc here’s mine.

Castor oil’s normal function is to stabilize lather. Salt bars usually have tons of lather from all that CO. So I keep it simple and leave out the castor. I’d be interested to hear what other soapers feel like castor brings to their salt bars.

Butters are an interesting choice for a salt bar. They add some conditioning, which arguably could be used to offset the harshness of all the CO. Same with OO or AO. I find that a cured salt bar isn’t harsh for my skin, so I don’t bother with other oils or butters. OO in particular adds a sliminess for me that I prefer to avoid.

But many others here do add OO or AO to their salt bars. I think someone adds PKO but I can’t remember who. Would love to hear what others add, and why.

PS - I use salt at 50% of oil weight.

 

[Catscankim]

Appreciate your response and opinions lol.

Do you use all coconut oil? I just broke out a bar from recipe 2...CO/OO and omg it Lathered well and held its lather unlike the complicated first recipe. But my hands felt slightly sticky after, but that went away.

I know they arent fully cured at 2 months. What makes them better after a good long cure? I dont have any to compare to

edit...and do you use a 20% superfat on 100% coconut oil

 

[TheGecko]

I didn't use soap calc then, but I do now, and when I plug those numbers that I used, it doesn't make sense to me.

I have a notebook that I keep recipe/ideas...anything that is bath & body related. I've had to go back and add additional notes to more than a few recipes from the beginning because two things that weren't included way Lye Concentration and SuperFat, which can change the amount of lye and water you are using which will impact your soap both in terms of quality and cure time.

As as example, just plugging in the weights with the defaults (38% water as % of oils and 5% SF), I get 172.14 g water and 72.29 g lye (same as you), but this time of year I use a 33% Lye Concentration, and a 20% SF for Salt Soap and now my water is 123.6 g and my lye is 60.88 g.

As for the recipe itself, Castor Oil does two things...it draws moisture to the skin and creates lather, but you're already doing the latter with the CO. Mango Butter, IMHO, is better suited for lotions and potion and maybe CP Soap. I wouldn't waste the cost of it in a Salt Soap unless I am looking for label appeal.

I currently have four salt soap recipes that I am testing. 100% Coconut, 75% Coconut/25% Avocado, and 50% Coconut/27% Olive/10% Shea/7% Avocado/6% Castor. The fourth is 75% Coconut/25% Avocado made with 100% Coconut Milk. The first was 33% Lye Concentration, the others were 35%, all were 20% SuperFat. I would have to check my actual notes to see how much salt and what kind of soap I used.

 

[Catscankim]

Thank you for that very thoughtful reply.

How soon are you testing your soaps?

 

[Obsidian]

in my experience, hard oils like butters, lard and palm reduce lather a lot in a salt bar. I only use coconut and some kind of HO oil like olive safflower or sunflower.

I also get a lather reduction if I use more then 50% salt. I have a 100% salt bar from another member and I get zero lather with. Something in my water as I know she gets great lather with that recipe.
I use 35% salt and its just perfect for here.

 

[Dawni]

I've only made one salt bar batch... And haven't since until I figured out how to get em to stop sweating and the salt recrystalizing on top of em.

That being said.. I got the one I used from someone here (can't remember who, sorry) and it's 85% coconut oil and I just subbed the olive oil with RBO for the rest. Salt was 50% and SF at 17%

I love it. Its going on 14mos of curing and I was even thinking of selling them as limited edition lol because they really feel great despite my initial issues. Lather starts out bubbly in mine then becomes a little creamier the more you rub your hands together. On the face it doesn't dry at all.

I started testing mine I think 3mos after I made em. There's a pic of that lather here and the now lather is different. I should take a pic and update that thread lol. Anyway, there's some good info in there from others regarding the salt amount and curing times

 

[shunt2011]

I personally don’t like butters in salt bars. Also, castor only stabilizes later so I do use it at 5% in my salt soap. I use 80% Coconut and 15 Avocado. 18-20SF. I do not soap at 33% lye concentration as salt soap can sometimes move a bit faster. I do 30%. And 50% salt. Salt soap is my favorite. And I make several batches a year and let them cure for a year.

 

[dibbles]

Agree ^^^. Only once did I add some cocoa butter to my salt bars, and noticed a big reduction in the lather. One of the things I love most about salt bars is the lather explosion. I think that castor helps to stabilize the lather, so I usually add it at 5% but not always. I have settled on 50% salt as my favorite after trying many iterations starting at 85%. I do add 10% avocado or sweet almond as well. I use individual cavity molds and force gel.

 

[Catscankim]

Thank you everybody. All of your replies are super-helpful

I am formulating a recipe here. My intention was 85% coconut, 10% avocado, 5% Castor. I dont have as much avocado oil on hand as i thought, so i reformulated to 90 CO, 5% avocado, and 5% castor.

Thoughts or suggestions are welcome

 

[TheGecko]

Thank you for that very thoughtful reply.

How soon are you testing your soaps?

I have tested the 100% CO and I didn’t like it...I used too much salt. The fourth one is promising. Haven’t done anything with the 2nd and 3rd.

 

[dibbles]

I think you'd be fine with that, or use 5% avocado and 5% olive, 5% castor and 85% coconut.

 

[Catscankim]

I went with the 90%. I just ordered avocado and more sea salt. Considering the length of time they need to cure, i really want a lot on hand with my future plans on selling. So i really need to make my recipe solid.

These where so much more well behaved than the other two experiments...and much more pretty too.

I tried to force gel with one set of cavity molds. I dont think i will do that again. 2 hours and they already have a ton of ash. The other set of cavity molds i filled were left on the counter covered with a light linen towel. They still look nice and creamy. I know its not an overall full cure , just an early observation. I am glad i did two different ways of putting the same batch to bed....one CPOP, the other left on the counter.

Funny side note...i am sure manufacturers dont expect the average consumer to weigh their products. The container of sea salt is labeled as 499 grams. My recipe called for 450 grams. It took every last grain of salt in the container to equal 450 grams. I got jipped 49 grams of salt!

 

[Marsi]

I am formulating a recipe here. My intention was 85% coconut, 10% avocado, 5% Castor. I dont have as much avocado oil on hand as i thought, so i reformulated to 90 CO, 5% avocado, and 5% castor.

Thoughts or suggestions are welcome

I tried to force gel with one set of cavity molds. I dont think i will do that again. 2 hours and they already have a ton of ash. The other set of cavity molds i filled were left on the counter covered with a light linen towel. They still look nice and creamy. I know its not an overall full cure , just an early observation. I am glad i did two different ways of putting the same batch to bed....one CPOP, the other left on the counter.

Covering the soap helps with the ash
either force gel with the individual soaps covered
or cover the individual mold and put it on a cooling rack after gel to reduce ashing

your recipe of 90% CO with 5% each of avocado and castor with 50% salt will make a decent salt bar
I like the slightly higher amount of soft oils as dibbles posted if castor is in the mix
or 90% with 10% soft oils

I add sugars to my salt bars to boost the bubbles
watch the heat if you add sugars to a salt bar

As for the recipe itself, Castor Oil does two things...it draws moisture to the skin and creates lather, but you're already doing the latter with the CO. Mango Butter, IMHO, is better suited for lotions and potion and maybe CP Soap.

What potion do you make with Mango Butter?

 

[TheGecko]

What potion do you make with Mango Butter?

LOL

 

[Catscankim]

Must be a secret recipe lol

 

[linne1gi]

Thank you everybody. All of your replies are super-helpful

I am formulating a recipe here. My intention was 85% coconut, 10% avocado, 5% Castor. I dont have as much avocado oil on hand as i thought, so i reformulated to 90 CO, 5% avocado, and 5% castor.

Thoughts or suggestions are welcome

I personally would lower your water - your lye concentration is 30% - I suggest 33% at least.

 

[Catscankim]

I personally would lower your water - your lye concentration is 30% - I suggest 33% at least.

I was going off of shunts recipe suggestion that lowers the lye concentration to 30%.

I unmolded them and so far so good. I will keep you updated on how they turn out